Elastic steel spoke for vehicle-wheels.



Patented Aug. 12, I902.

H. G. M. HOWARD. ELASTIC STEEL SPOKE FOB VEHICLE WHEELS.'

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(Application filed D150. 30, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. M. HOWARD, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN.

ELASTIC STEEL SPOKE FOR VEHICLE-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 706,'659, dated August12, 1902. Application 1511 De cember 30, 190 Serial No. 87,763. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY G. M. HOWARD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Kalamazoo, in the county of Kalamazoo, State ofMichigan, have invented anew and useful Elastic Steel Spoke forVehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide elastic steel spokes forvehicle-wheels constructed in the improved manner set forth, with adesign to increase their attractiveness in appearance, improve theelastic action in the wheel, overcome the evil effects of expansion andcontraction, prevent what is termed crystallization of-the elasticsteel, and thus decrease danger of breakage of the spokes, and tofacilitate the attachment of the spokes to thewheel-rim, all as morefully described below.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is across-section of the wheel-rim in Fig. 2 on dotted-line c 0, alsoshowing a broken portion of a hub in side elevation, a spoke attached tothe'rim and hub, and another spoke broken away; and Fig. 2 is anelevation of Fig. 1 looking from a point at the right. i

Referring to the parts of the drawings pointed out by numerals, theelastic part of the spoke consists of ashort vertically-straightportion4, made in the elastic rod, of which the spoke itself iscomposed, below this a short bowed portion between 4 and 5, below this along bowed portion between 5 and 6, said bowed portions bending indirections laterally and inversely to each other, and below the longbowed portion an inwardly-ob lique straight short portion 7 forattachment to the hub. This portion 7 not onlyis oblique, but it extendsin a lateral direction or toward the side of the wheel, or, rather, itwould be toward the center of the hub between the ends thereof, as it isthe intention to build the wheels with some spokes on one side and someon the other of the wheel. These two bowed and two straight portions areof course end to end and integral'wit h each other. The upper end of thespoke proper consists of a T-head comprising the fiat cap 9 forattachment to the inner side of the wheel-rim 11 and of the stem 8,integral with the cap 9. This T-head is made solid with the short on therim impart.

straight portion 4 of the spoke and constitutes a part of the spokeproper. As stated, it is designed to build the wheels with spokes onboth sides-that is, some spokes near one end of the hub 10, as shown bythe complete spoke in the drawings, and spokes near the other end ofthehub 10, as indicated by the broken spoke, said spokes being jogged byeach in their relation to each other and their attachment to the hub 10and to follow in line with each other at their attachment to and aroundthe rim 11. (Shown broken in Fig. 2.) This T-head may be made separatefrom the portion 4 and then be attached solidly to it, or the T-head andthe balance of the spoke may be formed integrally out of the same pieceof metal. It will be observed that the straight portion 4 is below thestem of the T-head and constitutes a portion of the elastic part of thespoke and made of the same material. The T-head being rigid itself andrigidly attached to the elastic straight portion 4 causes the pressureon the rim, even such as caused by a stone which one edge or side of therim runs over, to be evenly distributed in its efiect into the straightportion 4, and thus have the same even eifect on the elasticity of theentire spoke as would a pressure squarely The pressure on the T- headacts directly on the short straight portion 4, but is immediatelydistributed into the inversely-bowed portions below 4 and above 6 in amanner that its efiect bows these portions elasticallya little fartherin the inverse directions, thus breaking up and distributing the elasticaction in a manner that no undue and unsightly bulging of the bows ofthe spokes is experienced, and the effect of the endwise pressure on thespokes is prevented from concentrating at any point throughout thelength of the spokes with a suificient continued force reproduce theheretofore-complained-of crystallization of the grains of thesteel,causing breakage, and the expansion of the spokes from the effects ofheat and the contraction from the effects of cold have no evil effectson the Wheels.

A feature in the spokes thus made is their increased attractiveness,imparting to the wheels an appearance of beauty and finish.

The T-heads may have more than one branch, like the part above 4,between s and l bowed portion below and bending in direc- 5, between 5and, 6, and the part 7, if pretions laterally and inversely to eachother ferred, being just a duplication, but not here shown; and a shortinward laterally-oblique I 5 shown. portion at the lower end,substantially as set 5 Having thus described my invention, what forth. v

Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters In testimony whereof Ihave signed my Patent of the United States of America, isname to thisspecification in the presence of Elastic metal spokes for vehicles,compristwo subscribing witnesses.

ing as a continuous Whole, a rigid T-head at HENRY G, M. HOWARD. 1oouter end; a short straight portion immedi- Witnesses:

atel y below and made from the elastic part of WILL R. MCGRAW,

the spoke; a short bowed portion and alonger W. F. DORGAN.

